Crimson Eyes, Sapphire tears, part 1
by liandrin
Summary: HieiOC. A young water demon lives in an alternate world protected by a sacred kekkai and yet undiscovered by spirit world. She is of a dying race, the legendary Kyoshiran line, who myth say disappeared from Demon world thousands of years ago. HIATUS
1. Chapter 1: The Hidden World

Kazumi sighed as she fingered the chain of her necklace. Her eyes slowly scanned the forested horizon, piercing through the heavy darkness. The night draped softly around her, like a robe of nothingness that enveloped her body and soul. The surrounding land was made up mostly of a thick forest, a lush dark green that stretched for miles, unbroken as far as the eye could see. Her people had named it Sílagade Mir, or The Silent Forest, after the disquieting way no sound seemed to breach the walls of trees. To a stranger they would have appeared threatening, but to Kazumi and the rest of her clan it was home. They had long ago overcome the dangers that the forest brought, and now it served as a protective ring around their village, discouraging others from venturing into the forest and effectively concealing them from the outside world. Even if a person somehow survived the forest long enough to penetrate deep within the forest, unless they had a guide the ever shifting trees would cause them to lose their trail, and bring the unwary traveler to an ugly end by way of the many natural traps hidden in its foliage.

Although they were not the only inhabitants of Siligade Mir, the other occupants were more primitive than they and were incredibly dangerous, preying upon each other and any being who was unlucky enough to stray into their path. Most preferred to live alone, but a few traveled in together in tight packs, not for familial reasons but because they found that it made for easier hunting. These were sometimes the most dangerous if their leader happened to be clever, and the pack hungry. The only solitary predator that one would have to be wary of were the creatures that were skilled and deft at what they did. They usually hid themselves completely, set their traps, and waited. When this happened only some of the most skilled Kyoshiran fighters would be able to sense the danger before it was too late.

Not that there was really any danger to her people, the village was expansive and the villagers saw no reason to venture out of the village boundaries and into the darkness of the forests beyond. All that they needed was contained within their community, and the villagers were content with leading happy lives raising families and chasing their dreams.

The only ones who usually ever ventured out of the village were Kazumi and the other members of her sect, the chosen fighters and protectors of the Kyoshiran clan, whom long ago had been deemed the Malikai. They were descendants of the first Malikaian, Haikutsei Kyoshira, and therefore were destined to serve the village and protect it. Set apart from the rest, they were usually separated from their parents at an early age and put through harsh training in the ranks of the lower fighters, unless both of their parents were Malikaian and then the child was sometimes lucky enough (or unlucky, depending) to be trained personally by their parents. When they grew stronger and proved themselves, they were raised in rank and allowed to fight alongside their peers in battle. At this point in their training they were grouped by their separate elemental affinities and honed their techniques first as a group, then, after they had mastered most of the basics, as individuals they perfected their own unique styles of fighting. If they by then they possessed enough skill, then they could be worthy of a position as one of the Malikaian elite, a small group of warriors headed personally by the ten top warriors of their bloodline. If one was chosen to be a part of that group it was considered a great honor.

Kazumi was one of these elite fighters, the Water Master of the Malikaian. Though young in age, she had risen in rank quickly as a child and received the revered title Master at the mere age of 12. Some of her peers had resented her in the beginning, but in the years following her ascension they had come to respect her and her status, and now she received their full loyalty and obedience. Her partners had grown used to her quickly, for during battle she was as tough as any of them, and that trait had made her their equal. The Malikaian warrior line measured a fighter by the ferocity and skill of the individual over both social status and physical appearance. In their view, if you could fight, you were accepted, no matter who or what you were.

She absently brushed a few loose strands of her sapphire hair out of her eyes, tucking them behind her ear. Her skin was a the milky paleness of the moon above, its delicate appearance contrasting to the toned and rippling muscles beneath the surface. She wasn't of great height, not even five feet, but that wasn't uncommon among demon races. They represented more diversity than the humans of their neighboring world could ever hope to. And they were far more deceptive as well. Demons learned at an early age not to judge others by appearances only, for far too many times were those first impressions proven gravely wrong. To make a mistake like that could mean a quick death.

There was a slight noise behind her and to her left, still a good distance away, but close enough to make her tense and alert. The sound approached, but then her nose picked up the familiar scent and she relaxed. Out of the encroaching darkness stepped a figure she'd known for the majority of her life.

Kyohei leaned lazily against a tree, stretching and offering her an annoyed sigh. "Watch has been getting even more boring as of late."

She nodded. It was true, the last few years the borders had been almost entirely quiet. Only three serious fights in this last year had broken out, with a few small skirmishes pitched in between. With nothing to occupy a fighter, sentry duty was just about the most uneventful post to receive. Where it used to be a fought for position, it was now something that was passed around reluctantly. There was no fun in it anymore.

Kazumi returned her attention to the youth in front of her, still musing over his words. He fell silent, watching her, his emerald green eyes glinting mischievously in the sparse light. Raven black hair fell over his eyes, just long enough to obstruct his gaze. It was messy and was the type of hair that refused to be tamed, falling every direction in defiance of order and law. His skin was pale, though darker than Kazumi's, and hard muscles were evident where his skin was bared. He was tall, much taller than her, and was wearing a black uniform with a green sash of a shade to reflect the color of his eyes.

He gave her a wry and playful smile, "Admiring my body again, Kazumi? I'd have thought you would have gotten used to my good looks by now."

She flinched, snapped out of her reverie, and returned the grin, "I was merely wondering how a pretty boy like you was accepted into the ranks of the Malikaian elite. You'd think the elders would have been too considerate of your womanly nature to mar your beauty in battle."

He whistled through his teeth, feigning hurt, "Ouch, below the belt, my friend, way below the belt. I'm hurt, truly I am."

She shrugged with a small smile, "I can't help it, I was only speaking the truth. I'm not the first to come to that opinion, and I can assure you I shall not be the last."

He put his hands up in front of him, a good-natured gesture of defeat. "I can't argue there, but in my defense I shall point out that the holders of those opinions all seem to be quite lacking in beauty themselves."

She cocked an eyebrow, "Oh really? And with those words, do tell what you are insinuating, for I am sure it is most interesting."

"I am merely saying that such gossip can only come from the mouths of those whose minds are clouded by jealousy, their judgment impeded by the desire to look just so."

Kazumi could no longer keep a straight face at his seemingly innocent explanation, and she allowed a grin of amusement to cross her lips. "In the face of such logic I am doomed to fail, my friend, I only hope you do not view me as such."

"Of course not, my friend, for surely those same jealous beings speak in such ways of you, as well. You can be assured of that." And he cast her a sly wink, as if to say Believe me, I should know.

"Cad," She replied, "As if you have heard such things. Stop fooling around."

"Fine, fine," he shrugged with a smile, "Disbelieve me all you want, you never have taken me at my word."

"And now you progress to lies. Where will it end?" She stood and stretched, suppressing a yawn. It had been a while since she had last slept. "Weren't you on watch at the southern end?"

Kyohei sobered with a sigh, "So? Nothing happens anyway."

Kazumi looked him over with a critical eye, "Since when does that excuse a soldier of neglecting his duty? You should be ashamed."

"Geez, Kazumi, sometimes you're no fun. If it makes you feel better, Hatake stopped by and offered to relieve me, he owes me one from last week. Seems our friend Shizuki was giving him a hard time again, you know, the usual stuff, about him being a slacker and laziness getting a soldier nowhere." He laughed softly, "You know, sometimes I think you're starting to sound like her, Kazumi."

"Oh, be quiet."

"I can't help it, I was only speaking the truth," he mocked happily, "And in humoring myself I shall go no farther."

She sighed, "Point taken."

There was a silence in which neither of them had anything to say, and it stretched for a length of time before it was broken once more by Kyohei's voice.

"Look, the sun is rising. Yet another day dawns . . ."

Kazumi glanced up at the treetops, noting the faint colors beginning to tint the blue-black sky, slowly breaking through the night. The sparse light was not yet able to rival that of the moon's, but time would soon turn the tables. The trees sparkled with the morning dew, their leaves a million budding jewels. They had made it through another night.

"Who is supposed to relieve you?" Kyohei inquired, watching the spectacle with seemingly uninterested eyes.

"Ly. He's due any moment now." She replied.

"Huh." Kyohei grunted in reply.

"You're late, slacker." Kyohei told Ly as the blond haired youth trudged over to them a while later.

Ly gave him an exhausted grin, "I didn't oversleep or anything, but I was assaulted halfway here."

Kyohei laughed slightly, "Let me guess. Your pair-bond again? What did she have to say this time?"

Ly nodded, "Apparently I skipped out on our training again yesterday." He brushed golden locks that any girl would envy out of his eyes, still looking slightly the worse for his encounter.

Kyohei whistled, "What do you have, bud, a death wish?"

"Like I remembered that she wanted to go over something with me! She only told me once, and that was during a meeting, you know, the one two days ago?"

"What?" Kazumi asked, breaking into the conversation, "The one about the southern border attacks? How would you have even had concentration to spare during that?"

"Huh, you tell me. Obviously she thinks that I should have."

"Bud, learn from the pros," Kyohei told him arrogantly, "Females are complicated creatures. The best thing to do in a situation like this is let them win. You just do that every time you have a row, and we'll all go home happy."

"Oh, please." Kazumi chuckled, "Sayuri is not that stubborn, stop exaggerating. She's more sensible than you two give her credit for. I'm sure she was just angry about her new post."

"New post?" Ly's head whipped around and he fixed her with a gaze that spoke of newfound interest, "I never heard anything about her being given a new post!"

"Well, then, maybe you should consider this. She was told that she was needed in Ligameh for a couple of weeks at least. The explanation she got was that she's the best fire master we have, and the troops stationed there need better training, as what they're getting right now doesn't seem to be doing them any good." Kazumi smirked.

Ly looked lost for words, "B-But, a few weeks? At least? They can't do that to us -"

"These are troubled times, Ly. despite the downfall of attacks, there's been a building pressure these past few months. They're preparing for something, and we can't be left unprepared for what is to come." Kazumi's voice was grave as she relayed this last information.

Both Kyohei and Ly's faces drained of color, leaving them pale in the morning light. Ly spoke up, softly, as if what he was saying should not be heard by other ears, "Do you mean - no, it can't be - that?" he didn't even say the word they were all thinking, a silent testament to their fears, "That can't be what's coming, can it? This is just another big one, like the millenium war, just another false alarm . . . right?"

Silence met this, and he gulped. "This changes everything . . . I thought . . . I thought Fate would give us more time, that we'd be allowed a time of peace before . . ."

"You thought what everyone else thought, and what all those who came before us believed as well. Fate has a cruel wakeup call, fooling us by letting our fears be just that, fears, for thousands and thousands of years. In that time we've grown soft, and we've grown weak, believing that it wouldn't come in our time, so we could relax." Kazumi laughed darkly and bitterly, "But it's finally come. And we have to find a way to stop it. At any cost."

Ly looked up, the expression on his face echoing that of Kyohei's when she'd first told him. Fear, regret, and finally, pity. "Oh, gods, Kazumi, I shouldn't be saying this. How can I complain at this inconvenience to my happiness when you - when you haven't even been allowed that much - and now -"

"Stop." She commanded, and Ly started, looking embarrassed.

"Forgive me." He murmured, "I didn't mean to bring that up . . ."

Kyohei looked away, and she avoided looking at him, not wanting to know his thoughts. it didn't matter.

"I understand. Don't worry about, I've lived with this my entire life. It's not like it's anything new . . . and we can't change that. No Malikaian can alter their Fate. Remember that. Fate . . . no matter how cruel . . . Fate rules us." Her bitter words pierced the silence.

Ly nodded. There was a moment of silence, then he spoke up again, with a forced cheerfulness to his voice, "Well, I've got to get to my duty, this sector can't watch itself! You two can retire for now. I'll notify you if I hear anything else."

Kyohei and Kazumi nodded, recognizing an end to the conversation. They turned to leave, and melted into their surroundings. 


	2. Chapter 2: The Ambassador

**"Kazumi-sama," A young water demon bowed respectfully as he approached, "You have been summoned at the request of Lord Okubo." He glanced up hopefully, locks of aquamarine hair falling over his eyes. **

**Kyohei shrugged, "Well, then, Kazumi, I guess I'll see you later."**

**"The Lord also requested you attend, Kyohei-sama." Kyohei looked surprised at the words.**

**She nodded, "Inform the Lord that we shall be there shortly," **

**The youth breathed out a sigh, relieved. "I shall tell him immediately, thank you for your patience." He fled at a respectable pace, obviously happy to be out of their daunting presence.**

**Kyohei grinned at her, "Ooh, we're so scary they go running off first chance they get. Personally, I think it's just you." he danced away from her as he added the last, laughing as she cocked an eyebrow at him.**

**"He's young, they all are like that the first few years." **

**"Whatever you say. I was never like that."**

**Kazumi snorted, "Right. Now look who's talking." They were almost to the center of the main house.**

**"It's kind of odd for the lord to summon both of us at once, don't you agree? It just seems weird." Kyohei stretched as they walked, casting her a glance.**

**"It's not too out of place in our current position, Kyohei. I'm sure he is just as worried as we are about Samyra's well-being." Kazumi replied.**

**He snorted. "Yeah, but not ours." He let that bitter comment hang in the air for a moment before shrugging, "Sorry about that. I should know that after thousands of years of this, most people will have just accepted our fate and distanced themselves accordingly. Sometimes I just get a little . . . angry . . ."**

**Kazumi laid a hand on his arm, "You have a right to be, we all do. Don't punish yourself for your own emotions, because you don't deserve it."**

**"I know you're right, but I can't help but feel guilty all the same. I mean, we accepted this role, didn't we? The day we were branded as the leaders of our line, we took on this burden. Sure, it's not like we had any other choice, but it was still our decision. My decision. And so it's our responsibility and our duty to live with this and not complain."**

**Kazumi nodded, "You're correct, this was our choice. Instead of waiting for our Fate to hunt us down, we eight chose to rise up and meet it head on, accepting any and all consequences. It's better than lengthening a meaningless existence . . ."**

**They came to the center of their city, a modest complex of housing surrounded by a wall. They were admitted through the gate by one of the guards, who nodded as they passed. They then made their way through long halls meant to confuse the mind and after several turns they ended up at a sliding japanese door. They looked at each other one last time before opening the door and entering.**

**The room was mostly bare, save for a long table in the center, made to sit roughly a dozen people. Cushions were already arranged around it, and situated on those cushions were the eight other members of Kazumi's sect, the Malikaian elite. **

**Ly, the Light Master,was seated next to his hot tempered pair-bond, Saiyuri, the Fire Master, who was currently frowning at them with onyx eyes from underneath a black curtain of hair. "You're late. Again."**

**Kyohei shrugged, purposely provoking her and enjoying every moment of it, "What can I say? We're busy people." He smirked.**

**Kazumi shrugged past him, shaking her head. "Ignore him, Saiyuri. We were not found by your messenger until a very short while ago. I apologize for the wait."**

**Saiyuri gave a small 'huff', and went silent, obviously waiting until later to add anything else.**

**The others were watching them with mild amusement, and Kazumi met their gazes one by one with a small smile. There was Jhared, the Earth Master, Rayne, the Ice Master, Yukyo, the Plant Master, and Akito, the Shadow Master. Lastly, at the head was seated Lord Okubo, the ruler of the Samyran bloodline. He govorned their people side by side with the eight leaders of the Kyoshiran bloodline. He wore his gray-streaked hair cropped short, and always looked stern. The same held for this moment, as well, as he looked at them with serious eyes.**

**Kazumi and Kyohei bowed respectfully to all assembled, then took their seperate seats silently. When Lord Okubo was sure that they were all situated, he cleared his throat. "I'm sure that by now you all have heard something of why we are here today."**

**They nodded. They were not blind to the events of their world, and many had felt this coming for a long time.**

**"Good. Let me repeat it, then, to make sure everything is clear." He met each of their eyes, his like steel, a hard gray, peircing them. "Recently there has been great unrest among our troops. You have all noticed it. The same unrest lays within the forest and all who dwell within it. The only ones who seem to be immune to this ominous feeling are our own charges, the Kyoshirans. I would like to continue to keep them in the dark as long as possible, to avoid general panic." He cleared his throat again, and paused, "There has been movement from the east, where the Shadowlands lie. It seems our former brethren are massing together in their capital. I fear this is more than just a normal military uprisal."**

**Kazumi silently agreed, though she did not verify this out loud. The Shadowlands housed the demon race of the Finuvians, a race quite identical to the Kyoshirans in all but moral beliefs.Thousands of years ago the two races were one, until two sisters warred and thebloodline split into two opposing forces, and ever since then the Finuvians had lived in their fortress to the East, trying to permanently wipe out the Kyoshiran race. The attempts had been mostly small, until recently, when a warrior rose from their ranks and took control of the Finuvians. Since then they had become far more than formidable, they had become a deadly threat. The Kyoshirans suffered a lethal attack 12 years ago that left half of their population dead, but had managed to turn back the tide and stop the attack. Since then, all had been quiet in the east. This recent activity was cause for concern.**

**"I expect Agade will move his troops anytime in the next few months, so all of us must be prepared for the worst. I don't know if we will be able to pull off another miracle win in our current state. But that is the least of our concerns at the moment. Right now we have a more pressing problem on our hands."**

**They all looked up, surprised. What could be worse than this?**

**"One of our own has gone missing. He disappeared last night, unseen and unheard by any on watch."**

**Jhared frowned, "A trainee?"**

**"No, one of our top officers. I would think that with Agade and the Finuvian's recent movements, this would seem more than a coincidence."**

**Raybe gasped, eyes wide, "A betrayer?"**

**"Yes. Yagami Kyoshira, Captain of theblue troops. He was allied with Agade, it would seem. And now he's been sent to the Other Worlds to scout for him and God only knows what else." Lord Okubo sighed.**

**"That makes sense, though. The Finuvians cannot pass between the worlds like we can, because the only portal is here. So he had to have one of our own go for him. What do you think he's after?" Yukyo frowned.**

**"I don't know, but whatever it is we can't let him have it. It could be key to our survival." **

**"Tell us what you want us to do." Kazumi said firmly.**

**"I need one of you to go after him and make sure he doesn't get back to Agade. Try to get what he's after in the process to make things easier for us in the long run. It will be risky, seeing as we've been absent from the Other Worlds for so long. I've thought this over, and I believe that even though the other worlds will be alerted of our existence, it's worth it. We can't let Agade get the upper hand. So the one who goes will also have to play the role of ambassador to Spirit World and Demon World, as well. It will be taxing, which is why I've asked the eight of you. I can only spare one of you, the rest will have to stay. After all, there's the war to think of. Do I have any volunteers?" He concluded, looking at them each in turn.**

**They were silent, contemplating the task. Rayne opened her mouth to reply, but Kazumi beat her to the punch. "I will go."**

**Lord Okubo looked at her, startled. "Kazumi-sama, you were the last one I would have thought of to -"**

**"I'm the only one who's been there before, so I'll have the advantage over anyone else. Plus I feel responsible, my Lord. Yagami was under my jurisdiction. It is my duty to bring the traitor back."**

**Kyohei jumped up, "That's madness, Kazumi! Leaving here would weaken you -"**

**"Silence, Kyohei." Lord Okubo raised a hand. he had seen the conviction and determination that burned in her eyes, and he nodded to her with a grim smile. "So be it. The task is yours."**


	3. Chapter 3: Taking Her Leave

Kyohei ran up to her as she walked through the northern gates of the city, a wide arch made of a translucent stone found only in the outermost reaches of Samyra. The inner city had been built over thousands of years ago, and still stood strong today. She hopedit would prevail for many more years to come, as well. A traveling cloak and her uniform were the only items she took with her. A strap stretched diagonally across her chest, around to her back, holding a small sheathe to her back. It contained a long collapsible scythe, in the style of a chinese warrior spear. It had been her mothers weapon before her, and her ancestors before that. Some said it was made of the essence of the first Kyoshiran, and that it was indestructible. Kazumi wasn't so sure, but it had served her well over the years. If it ever did break, she would mourn it, but it was only a weapon. She could always get another.

Kyohei stopped in front of her, slightly breathless. "What in the hell were you thinking? Any one of us could have taken this job! Are you insane!" The emotion in his voice was unmistakable.

She stopped as well, and looked at him calmly. "Of course not, Kyohei. Besides, I was right when I said that I'm the only one who's been to the other worlds before. That's a good enough reason to let me go. Lord Okubo even agreed."

His gaze darkened. "You know what I mean, Kazumi. You should at least let me go with you."

"No. Samyra can't spare any more fighters to go after Yagami, when there are worse threats here." She could tell he was working hard to keep his anger in check.

"Listen, you know any one of us would be a better choice to go than you."

"And what does that mean?"

"I mean that even though we may not know the terrain, at least we're not likely to collapse in the middle of a battle!" There. He'd said it. The thing they'd all been thinking of during the meeting, and before that.

She glared at him, angry. "I'm not a fool. I won't put myself in a situation like that, and you know it. I am not going to let my condition hinder this mission."

"You can't control something that's wrong with your blood," Kyohei interjected, moving in front of her again as she tried to push her way past him."I'm sorry to bring it up, but you know I'm right."

"Are you trying to piss me off?" Her voice was still calm. "I've lived like this my entire life, as a leader of our troops, no less. I think I can handle it. I'm not a child, Kyohei, and I detest being treated like one."

"You idiot -" He restrained himself from thoroughly chewing her out right then and there, and sighed. "Fine, do what you like. Just promise that you won't hesitate to contact me if you get into a spot of trouble and need help. But until you say it I won't let you go."

"Stubborn little . . . " He didn't catch everything she said as it came out in a sort of half mumble, but he got the gist. He stayed put, ignoring her words. "Fine. I promise." She relented after a few moments. "Now move. You've made me late as it is."

Kyohei grinnned at her, knowing he'd gotten his way again. He gave a mocking little half-bow, and stepped out of her path. "You know how to contact me. I'll come in a jiffy if I hear from you." With those words he left, back through the gates and out of sight.

She watched him leave and sighed. The presence of friends could be such a pain. "Friends . . . " She tasted the word on her tongue. It still felt foreign to her, out of reach. She wondered if she would ever grow used to it. Probably not. No use thinking about such useless things, anyway. She could be so stupid, sometimes.

With that thought she shrugged her cloak a little closer about her shoulders, knowing that when she passed through the portal she would enter a worldin the midst ofwinter. Spirit World's seasons ran opposite Samyra's, as if Samyra was in a different time warp than the other three worlds. Maybe it was. No one remembered how the Hidden World was created, and there was no records from those long-forgotten days.

A half hour later she came to the grove where the portal lay, and stepped into the clearing. The portal was a decievingly simple structure, made from the same translucent stone the city was built of. It was aprimitive arch, like a doorway to a building that wasn't there, as if it had collapsed a long time ago. Of course, there had never been such a building. The arch was a doorway, but not to a room. To another world. Etched across the borders of the arch were symbols, in the old language of the Samyrans, before the civil war and bloodshed. Now only a few could read it, those who chose to keep with the old ways, and those who saw the wisdom in preserving the old ways. Kazumi was one of those, along with every other Malikaian. They were required to know the language by the age of five, and she had been no exception.

Now she stopped in front of it, and read out the words of the old tongue. She didn't need to, as she was strong enough to simply will the portal to appear with her demon power now, but that was a waste of priceless energy, and she could not afford to be careless. So she chose to pass through the more primitive, but more precise way.

As soon as she finished the passage the portal began to glow, as if behind the doorway a light shone. It was opening. At the right moment she closed her eyes and stepped into the light, and it enveloped her, and for a few heartbeats she knew nothing, smelled nothing, tasted nothing, could sense nothing but a vast emptiness. The first time to experience it was overwhelming, but after practice you got used to it. Then she stepped into a world of ice.

A cold wind whipped past her face, making her shiver for a moment before her body adjusted itself to the surroundings and she warmed again. Snow fell in a constant wave, making swirling patterns in the air before her eyes. She sighed and began to walk, foced to wade through the snowdrifts created by the current storm. It was obviously a bad time to be a traveler. Thecool glowof her amulethummed against her skin, covered in the fabric of her shirt, reminding her of past vows sworn, and she gritted her teeth and ignored the doubts that flooded her mind. She would make her way to the palace of King Enma, and ally herself with his forces for as long as was needed to capture the traitor, and then she would return, and hopefully never be back. She would pray to whatever deity was out there that her half-breed blood didn't burn her body again for the duration of the mission, for the less trouble there was on this, the better. Curse her parents for being love-blinded fools and spawning a cursed child such as her, for they were the root of her pain.


	4. Chapter 4: Koenma's Surprise

Koenma sat in his office in Spirit World, positioned in his oversized chair, staring at a missive that had recently come in. His ogre helper stood in front of him, having just now delivered it to him.

"You're saying it arrived at the front gate?" He repeated the question again, though he had already heard the answer, "And they didn't say anything about it?"

"No, Koenma sir, just to bring this directly to you, seeing as King Enma is away on business at the moment." The ogre replied.

"I see." Koenma said no more, observing the small sphere in his hand. Demons were known to use such means as communication, their equivalent to a letter, and with a sinking feeling he realized he had never been sent one that contained good news. Great. After all, what demon would take the time for such a thing unless it was a pressing matter? Though this was an unusual style of message, one he hadn't seen before. Interesting, at the least.

Koenma sucked on his pacifier, deep in thought for a few moments. Then he sighed, gesturing to the ogre, "Fetch Botan for me, would you please? I'd like her to see this."

"Yes sir!" The ogre scurried off to do his bidding, leaving Koenma to his thoughts. Five minutes later there came a knock on the door, and Botan was admitted, looking apprehensive.

"You called?" She said, straightening her clothes and trying to look professional, which was a laugh because she never did. It's very hard to look the part of the grim reaper when you're a bubbly blue-haired woman with a bright personality. Somehow the two just didn't fit.

"Yes. I just recieved this." He held up the sphere for a moment, noticing a flicker of comprehension in her eyes as she registered what it was. "I thought it would be . . . wise to have you here when I activate it."

"Wise . . . " She repeated, "More like you suspect this will be more than just a greeting and will probably involve Yusuke in some way or another, am I right?"

"Of course. Nowadays everything seems to involve our budding Spirit Detective, willingly or not." He gave a slight smile, "Might as well get this over with . . ." With those words he placed the sphere on his desk and, laying a hand over it, sent a small jolt of spirit power into it, activating the message. He moved his hand and the sphere rose, letting off a peculiar light, and with it spoke an unfamiliar voice.

"Greetings. I am contacting you because my people are in dire need of your assistence. One of our own has managed to escape us, revealing him as a traitor to our cause. He has fled to one of your worlds, in hiding, and is convicted of the murder of innocent townspeople. He is highly trained and dangerous, which is why we felt the need to inform Spirit World of this development. We need your help in apprehending this traitor. If you are confused as to who and what we are, I shall tell you. We are the Kyoshiran demon clan, of the Hidden World, Samyra. You might have heard of us, you might not. It makes no difference to us. I have sent a representativeto deliver this message, but I preferred you to hear this as a preliminary warning. She will approach you soon. It is my sincere wish that you comply with our request, for if this criminal is not caught he will not only endanger our world, but yours as well. Make your decision quickly, for I fear we run out of time."

With a slight blip the voice cut off, leaving the two of them in a stunned silence. The sphere dropped with a clatter on the surface of his desk, rolling a ways before coming to a stop, devoid of light, its purpose fulfilled. Botan finally managed to drag her gaze away from it to look at him.

"Sir?"

Koenma drew a deep breath, "Well. Of all things, I didn't expect that."

"What do you make of it? That name sounds familiar, Samyra . . ." She tried the word out, frowning.

"That's because you've probably heard it before, in your early training. It's mentioned a few times in some of our oldest texts, dating back a couple thousand years or so." Koenma explained, "Samyra was a prosperous city of a neighboring world, aptly named The Hidden World. A long time ago it was one of four worlds, among Demon World, Spirit World, and Human World. The demons who lived there interacted with us, lived among us, and so on. They were known for their great fighting skills, their power, and their overall desire for peace. You see, that was a rare trait among demons, especially in those times. They were close allies with Spirit World, and helped us to keep the peace and balance of the worlds. That's why we never had Spirit Detectives back then, we didn't need them."

"Well, what happened, then? I think I remember something from my books, a disappearance . . .?" She trailed off with a questioning look.

"Yes. One day they all disappeared, and the portal to their world was shut. After a while, we assumed The Hidden World had simply disappeared. It's possible, if a world's balance is tipped. But we'd never had it happen. Most just figured that there had been an internal conflict, maybe a war, that wiped them all out. All we knew was that they were gone, so we accepted things as they were. Years passed, and when they didn't come back they were slowly forgotten. When things got bad we hired a Spirit Detective, thus starting the newest trend. For them to show up now is a major ordeal. We'll have to strike up negotiations and Enma knows what else." He put a hand to his temple, a headache already building from the implications. "I can't believe this had to happen now."

"And what about their request?" She asked.

"What do you think? We'll comply. It's Spirit World's job to monitor the worlds, and we can't let a rogue demon run loose like that. Plus it would be unwise to refuse and start off on the wrong foot with the Kyoshirans, that would be the last thing we'd need."

"You'll be sending Yusuke." She replied, making it a fact rather than a question.

"Yes. And Hiei, Kurama, and possibly Kuwabara. They work well together."

She grimaced. "Hiei? I know Kurama will come if you ask, but Hiei? Won't he just refuse?"

"He still has a debt to pay us, remember? If he wants his sentence revoked, he'll help. I know he despises being confined to one human city. He'll come along just to get away from it for awhile. At least, I hope." Koenma grimaced as well, "You never know with demons like that."


	5. Chapter 5: Gathering

Yusuke Urameshi, feared Spirit Detective, bane of demons, sat behind his desk at school, head on the polished wood surface, asleep. Every now an then a loud snore would fill the room, at which the teacher, long versed in this act, would stop his lecture and take enough time to yell at the troublesome youth before going back to work. Keiko watched this take place and sighed, poking Yusuke with her pencil. He groaned and turned his head to look at her. "What do you want?"

She gave him a stern look. "You're going to flunk out of high school if you keep this up, you know. You should at least act like you're listening if you're going to bother coming to school."

He shrugged, running a hand through his gelled back black hair. "I figure they're lucky just to have me here at all. You should be proud."

Keiko frowned. "Yusuke, don't you ever think about your future?"

He blinked at her, still clearing away the sleep. "No."

"Yusuke! You can't live your entire life a high school thug!"

"Stop trying to change who I am. We've been through this before, Keiko, I'm just not cut out for school. I suck at my work, and everyone knows the only thing I'm good at is fighting. Fighting, and winning. That's my rep."

Keiko gave up the talk, and with one last frown she looked away, her unhappiness etched on her face. He may be fine with being nothing, but she wasn't. No matter what he said, he had the ability to be much more than just a thug. If only he would try . . .

**_

* * *

_**

Koenma folded his hands in front of him on the desk, fingers splayed, eyes on the red-haired youkai in front of him. The youkai had emerald green eyes to set off his startlingly long hair, with an almost feminine curve to his face, but most definitely male. Though he looked young, it was merely deceiving, as he was actually hundreds of years old. His knowledge of the world equaled his years, and the dark intelligence burned strongly in his gaze as he stood silently in Koenma's office. Only a fool would underestimate this demon at first glance. Sadly, it still happened, and those who had made the mistake hadn't lived to regret it. Such was the way in Demon World.

"I don't plan to tell you the full details of this mission until the others are gathered, but I believe you already knew that." Koenma smiled.

Kurama didn't return the smile, but amusement flickered in his eyes all the same, "Of course. You would have told me by now if it was your intention to. I am right in assuming that we will have a companion?" His voice came out deeper than one would expect from his looks.

Koenma nodded, "I would expect no less from you."

"It wasn't that difficult." Kurama shrugged, a graceful movement, "The remnants of her power are still present here, even though she was gone long before I arrived. There was no way to miss it."

"Yes, I admit she was quite a surprise. You will meet her soon. I would like for you to inform Yusuke and Kuwabara of this new assignment, and if possible, locate Hiei as well. This will be much different than missions in the past, and his help would be appreciated."

Kurama smiled this time, "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

Kazumi watched the youkai leave, hidden in the trees. She let the scent of his power wash over her, and she smiled. He felt strongly of an ancient power, and of fox. She could almost see the demon that had hidden itself in his human form, concealing itself from the outside world. Maybe Spirit World would be more help than she originally had thought. If the others were like this one, then they might have some hope of stopping Yagami after all. 

She was not afraid of Yagami himself, for she was the one who had trained him. She knew his strengths and his weaknesses, and she was confident that alone he would be an easy kill. But still . . . There was the fact that he had crossed over the portal in the first place. Only the elite were supposed to be able to do that. She had to assume that the power he now held was much more than before, and dangerous. She would not allow this mission to fail just because she got cocky. Better to be safe than sorry.

There might be more than one traitor among the ranks of the Malikaian, or even the normal Kyoshiran civilians. Finuvian power was opposite that of Kyoshiran, and the portal would automatically reject anything that resembled it. If Yagami had gained power, it was not from Agade himself. Either Agade had found a way to tap Kyoshiran power, or there was more to fear from her own people than their enemies. She settled herself for a long wait and prayed to whatever entity existed that the former was the case.**_

* * *

_**

Yusuke stretched as he walked slowly out the school gate. He stifled a yawn, a small smile present on his face. Keiko had pestered him all day, but instead of being unhappy about it, he enjoyed it. It was nice to know she cared. She reminded him of a firecracker, loud and angry but essentially harmless. She would not be happy to hear that analogy.

He was on his way home, heading down a crowded city sidewalk when a flash of red caught his eye. He glanced up to see Kurama leaning against the worn out, beaten brick wall of the adjacent building, and a wry grin crossed his features. The fox's presence could only mean one thing, for Kurama was not the type to drop by for a chat. Yusuke let his excitement grow, but hid it well as he changed his course and headed nonchalantly towards his demon companion. His life had been exceptionally uneventful as of late, and he was looking forward to yet another mission. He hoped this time it would be fun, and not fatal, though he did get his kicks from near-death expreiences.

* * *

Hiei kept his dark look focused straight ahead as he stalked down the oversized hallway in the palace of King Enma, his other three companions not far behind. Kurama had managed to locate him within the human city in which he was confined. Though he had tried not to make this an easy feat, the sly fox was never deterred. He could always find Hiei if he put his mind to it, a fact that never failed to irritate the fire apparition. He had assumed Yusuke would be accompanying them, but Kurama had failed to mention that that useless buffoon Kuwabara would come as well. 

Hiei was getting sick of Spirit World treating him like a dog that was at their beck and call. There was a limit to what he was willing to suffer in order to negate his crimes. Traipsing around to god knows where in the company of two humans was precariously close to crossing that line. The only thing that kept him from abandoning the mission altogether was his deep respect for the young Spirit Detective, Yusuke, and the prospect of a strong opponent. It was likely that this expedition would serve to further his goals.

"Cheer up, Hiei," Yusuke said cheerfully, "With luck this will be over soon." He'd been unusually merry as of late.

Hiei ignored him.

* * *

Koenma sat as straight up as he could in his chair when the foursome were admitted. Botan headed the small pack, looking sheepish. She flashed him a reassuring smile as she entered, then took her place beside the desk. 

Koenma sighed, relieved that everything was apparently in order. He glanced up at the group, as if they finally warranted his attention. Kuwabara grinned at him, and Koenma believed he knew what he was thinking. The high school punk had not yet adjusted to receiving orders from what at first glance seemed to be a toddler sucking on a pacifier. Koenma decided to overlook the insult, having had to deal with a great amount of doubt in his day.

Skipping the small stuff, Koenma decided to get to the point. "Have any of you ever heard of the Hidden realm?"

His question caught them off guard, but he thought he saw a glimmer of recognition in Kurama's eyes.

"What the hell?" Yusuke stated, always the blunt one.

"I believe that is the name of the fourth realm," Kurama replied softly, "Though I've only heard it as a subject of legend and myth." The others glanced at him, obviously not surprised.

"Yes. The Hidden Realm was rumored to be a companion world to Demon World, Human World, and the Spirit World. It was a place of mystery, much like Demon World was when first approached by Spirit World." Koenma quickly related the small details he knew of the realm, then sighed. "Since then history has turned it to a vague myth."

Hiei was visibly agitated, "And what does this make-believe realm have to do with us?" he asked curtly.

Koenma looked at them seriously, "Because we have reason to believe that the Hidden Realm truly exists." Before they could react he nodded to Botan, who opened the door to admit a seventh person, drawing their immediate attention.

The first - and most obvious - impression that they had was that she was female, and short. Then they noticed her long, flowing blue hair, ivory skin, and flawless grace with which she moved. The two demons immediately went on guard, recognizing in her movements the stealth with which a predator stalks its prey, feline and wary, calculating. Not to be judged by first impressions, she was obviously someone not to be underestimated. Then her eyes swept over them, and they recognized in their sapphire depths a cold intelligence, assessing them with ease, but whatever she concluded about them stayed hidden. She took her place beside Koenma's desk and waited, watching them quietly.

"This is Kazumi. She came to us a few days ago as an emissary from the Hidden World." Koenma nodded to her, waiting for their reactions, "One of their own has turned rogue and is loose in one of our three worlds, and she has requested Spirit World's assistance in apprehending him."


	6. Chapter 6: Encountering a Problem

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR - An apology to all readers: I'm sorry! SORRY! I know this chapter took months to get out, shoot me now. I was having a really hard time trying to pass this killer course that I never should have taken in the first place . . . but it paid off in the end! I got 10th in my entire high school class! And this cool glass shiny thing that says top scholar or something . . . anyway, back to my point . . . I'm trying to stay in the top ten throughout my high school years, so I've lost some precious writing time to my studies. B-U-T . . . SUMMER IS HERE! I can write all I want now. I hit some writer's block, too, but then I read this awesome Hiei poem and got the chills, and a LOT of ideas, so I LIVE ONCE MORE! And I promise I will try to churn out these next few chapters on time and quickly. No more monthly gaps and stuff. So, please forgive me, and I hope you enjoy reading! And read my newest story, Fallen Angels Broken Hearts, for all of you Gundam Wing fans! advertising advertising**

**By the way, I made this one twice as long as the earlier chapters, so be happy!**

* * *

Kazumi quickly took over the conversation, her eyes flickering in barely concealed amusement. Her voice wasn't the high voice of most girls her age, but rather a pleasant midnight sound, feminine but commanding. "Not that my people necessarily need your help in this, but we figured it would be polite to ask permission to trespass and warn you of the breach. If we weren't concerned about negotiations, we would have simply sent out a unit ourselves." 

Koenma sighed, smiling as well, "And for that I am grateful, but I also see this as an opportunity to not only rid Spirit World of one more danger, but to strengthen our relationship with the inhabitants of this new realm."

Kazumi merely shrugged at this, indicating to those who saw it that she did not really care either way. If he wanted to turn this into a peace negotiation, she would let him. Her job was to stop Yagami from interfering in the other realms, and most importantly, to stop him before he betrayed too many of their secrets to their enemies. Knowledge even falling into Spirit World's hands from his lips was dangerous, and he knew this. They could not afford to have yet another weakness at this crucial point in time for them. The majority of the Kyoshirans may not have realized it, but their very existence balanced on the edge of a knife. They could notmake mistakes, not now. The results would be disasterous. Every time she held the gaze of one of her fellow fighters, she saw this knowledge reflected in their eyes. It permeated the air theybreathed, writhed like some living aura around them, night and day, infecting their thoughts, their hopes, their dreams. Every waking moment was filled with dread of what the future would bring, and the conviction that they had to stop it. The Malikaian, blood-sworn protectors of the Kyoshiran clan, knew with every heartbeat, every pulse of blood in their veins, that the only reason for their existence was to live and die for their people.

In the beginning, it was like a curse, an unwanted burden shoved upon them unwillingly. They were branded on the backs and foreheads with potent power that would never fade, would forever bind them to their sworn task. It traveled down the bloodlines and through the centuries of every mailikaian kyoshiran. They were children born to protect. Theirs was a set destiny. Some say it was a punishment for a Malikaian Kyoshiran's betrayal of their people, doomed forever to try to make up for the fault. The cause was not what mattered. They were marked for life. Though the original hatred of the act had faded over the centuries, many still felt a small flame of reproach in their hearts for those they protected. Though things had changed, and they were now not treated as slaves, this remained. But that small portion of darkness was not enough to dim the love they now felt as a whole for their domestic and peace loving people. This younger generation would gladly die than see the souls of their people, their loved ones, stained. They would do anything to prevent it.

Kazumi let a half smile touch her lips at the thought, knowing in her heart that it was true. No matter how dark the deed, she would do it. Even if it meant slaughtering one of her own students.

Hiei glanced from Koenma's face to hers, and he caught the look, and read in it more than the others could. Her smile did not reach her eyes, and they held within them something he had come to recognize in Demon World. For all her harmless and feminine appearance, this girl was a killer. Though his respect for her grew in the space it took to look at her, he stored away that last bit of knowledge. It was something he would not soon forget.

Yusuke sighed and stretched, "Sooo . . . the gist is that we go out, catch this runaway from your world, help you return him, and we're done?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"If he gives us too much trouble, then don't take the risk of catching him. We just need him stopped." Kazumi stated in reply.

Two shocked and four calculating gazes focused on her.

"It would not be good to have a member of your realm killed on our soil. As it stands, we don't have a quarrel with him." Koenma said softly.

Without a trace of discomfort, Kazumi shrugged. "Just putting the situation in proportion. I wouldn't want your charges getting killed because of a misunderstanding." The 'charges' obviously referred to Yusuke and the others.

Hiei was immediately agitated, "Don't count me in with them. I'm only doing this to cancel a debt. I wouldn't be fool enough to get myself killed for the likes of you."

She was undeterred by the scathing remark, "I'd be disappointed if you did. I've heard rumor of you little team here, Koenma. I came because I heard they were good. I hope they can live up to it."

"You heard . . .?" Koenma said, nonplussed, "But your race hasn't been seen until now."

"True. Not many have crossed over. In fact, I'm the first in the last century." She smiled in amusement, "A little reconnaissance on my part." It must have been an inside joke, because they could not see the humor in it.

The news seemed to have shocked Koenma. His mind was buzzing with thoughts about what had happened in Spirit World in the last year or so. If she had been spying on them without their knowledge, then it would have been quite easy for her to have seen many events that they would not wish others knowing about. Hush hush happenings that had been dealt with promptly. Judging by the glint in her eye, she knew his silent fears, and wasn't going to give him a hint either way. Let him wonder.

Before he could say anything though, Kurama spoke up, curious, "But if this runaway is such a threat, then why did they only send one of you? Are any of your comrades joining us later?"

She gave him a level gaze, "No."

"Might I ask why?"

"Let's just say that we all thought one was enough." As in, _I can handle it._

"And we can't handle it?" Yusuke retorted defiantly.

"We'll see."

* * *

Despite Kuwabara's futile protests, Kazumi insisted they set off immediately. 

"We leave now. That is, unless the humans need to go pack their little knapsacks for the expedition." She grinned at Kuwabara.

Whopping Kuwabara to cut off his latest quip, Yusuke walked past her. "We're fine."

Hiei couldn't help but begin to grudgingly accept her, expecially since she had the good tast to tease the human. He followed a bit behind them with Kurama, keeping silent witness to the events.

They first traveled into one of the deepest parts of Spirit World, and as they headed towards the first trees of a rather ominous looking forest, Kuwabara finally spoke up again. "'Scuse me, but do we even know where this guy is?"

She glanced at him, "Scared? I know because I can sense him, at this moment at least, and he is somewhere in here." She gestured to the trees. "We Kyoshirans have unique energy signatures, and I would always recognize one of my own."

"Maybe, but this forest is quite large, and is infamous for its dangers." Kurama intoned in a soft voice, "I would not rely on merely your senses from here on out."

Kazumi nodded absently, but in truth she recognized in the fair demon ancient wisdom, a wisdom that belied his outward appearance, and she knew that his advice was worth taking. "I never thought this would be easy." She sighed, then stepped across the unmarked boundary between the empty plains and the forbidding trees. As she passed beneath the shadow of the first tree, she felt an unknown presence brush her, something far older than she, something alien, and the slight contact caused her to shudder from head to foot. At a gasp from behind her she knew she was not alone in the sensation. They all felt it, to varying degrees.

Attention not fully leaving the forest, she glanced at the group, noting that the human, Kuwabara, was openly shivering in the humid air of midday. _Ah, he's especially sensitive to it, _she surmised, feeling a twinge of sympathy for him, seeing as he was apparently the weakest of the four sent to help her. That must be his strong point, then, and she would remember it, because it could be useful to her in the near future.

She stopped dead then, and contemplated. She had not anticipated such a force to be in the forest, but that wasn't the real problem. No, the real problem was that Yagami would not have headed for this place without a reason, and they had just stumbled upon it. Whatever the unknown force was, Yagami must have been sent to find it, maybe seek its aid. And that was a possibility she could not allow. Whatever it was, it was enough that she could almost taste its power on the air, like an acrid perfume pervading the very heart of the forest, and leaking out in large quantities to the edges of it. It was almost a physical manifestation, a muggy fog hovering over the dead leaves and vegetation of the forest.

"What the _hell _is that?" Yusuke gave blunt voice to all of their thoughts.

"_That,_" Kazumi replied calmly, "Seems to be our newest problem."

"There is no record of such a thing inhabiting this forest," Kurama related unwaveringly.

Hiei snorted in disgust, "Thats says volumes. Spirit World's half-assed intelligence barely has any records on this section of their realm at all."

She glanced at him. He was so cynical for a demon of his age. From what she could gather, he and the others (Aside from the puzzling Kurama) seemed to be at around sixteen years of age. For this reason alone she was surprised. From her earlier inspections, she had been rather unimpressed by the three neighboring realms. They boasted average beings of average power, nothing special at all. The strong ones were powerful in old age. When she'd met her new comrades she had been secretly quite pleased. They were incredibly young, not even nearing the apex of their strength, and yet they were the most powerful band of otherworlders she had come across. Even by Kyoshiran standards they were amazing, and that was saying something. True, she was their age and powerful, but then again she lived in a world at war, where being the best the fastest was necessary to survive. She could not say the same for them, and it made her wonder about their separate pasts. The two humans she knew of, for Yusuke was currently the buzz of Spirit and Demon World, the new Spirit Detective, a kick-ass youth with an attitude. It wasn't hard to find out just about everything about him, and through that, to find out about Kuwabara, Yusuke's best friend.

Her informants had mentioned the two demon companions, and those that were the inhabitants of demon world were not at all friendly about it. It seemed that, because of their apparently helpful attitude towards the two humans, Kurama and Hiei were viewed as the two Spirit World lap dogs, traitors to the demon name. Of course, those self-same informants wouldn't have dared to say the same thing to their faces, and that in itself told her most of what she needed to know. They had both been criminals, caught by Yusuke and now serving out their sentences by helping the detective out. Apparently it was a way to pay Spirit World back (and eventually be redeemed) for their many crimes. When she'd heard the separate stories of their exploits and eventual capture, she'd been very, very interested. It wasn't often that she met individuals as interesting as these, that was for sure. And, in the end, this mission was just another way for her to escape her current circumstances and just have fun. Everyone expected so much of her, her comrades, her people, her friends, when it all came to it, it just plain exhausted her. She could never relax around them, just enjoy life, because it was all about the future, her destiny, her _Fate_.There it was, that damn word again. She was beginning to despise it. She'd heard it all before, and she understood, probably better than any of them, and tried her best to live up to it. But sometimes, _sometimes_, it was just nice to escape from all the pain, the death and carnage, the future itself, and be around people who didn't know about her, who would see her for who she was, not for her future or for her past, or her circumstances, just _her_. That was all she really wanted. The future would come, but until then, she'd live her life the way she wanted. Then, when she'd had her fun, she'd return, to the life and the destiny she never wanted in the first place.

She returned her attention to her two objects of interest, the demons. Kurama she'd already had a chance to assess, but the one mystery still remaining to her was the fire demon, Hiei. Oh, true, she knew the basic facts, that he controlled fire expertly and efficiently, and that hewas deadly withhis third eye, the Jagan. And she'd learned more, and confirmed more, upon meeting him. Yes, he was short, but that hardly mattered when compared with his other traits. She, of all people, knew the danger of underestimating someone because of their stature. He was about her height, with spiky black hair with a touch of white, and the most startling pair of crimson eyes she had ever seen. They were the color of rubies, but her first thought upon meeting them was of blood. Fresh spilled blood. He looked good in the black cloak he wore, dark and menacing. He wore power and dominance the way most people wore clothing, and she could tell that he came with more than a little ego. She knew more of his background than Kurama's, though not much, all considering. She knew he was a half-breed, a forbidden child of an ice and a fire demon that had ben spurned at birth. She even knew he had a sister, a Yukina, because in her earlier days of exploration she had met the girl, and befriended her.

She'd first crossed over the barrier between the worlds when she was eight, and had come across a young ice demon, a sweet girl who'd introduced herself as Yukina. They got along well, and Yukina had helped her get her bearings in the strange world she had come to. After a while, she'd learned Yukina had disappeared, and had been relieved to find that, years later, she'd been rescued by the Spirit Detective and his comrades, but she had yet to see her again. Absently, Kazumi wondered if she would remember her. Probably. But the young girl Yukina had met years ago would be very different to her now, for eight years had managed to change Kazumi considerably. She was hardened, now, and colder, because she needed to be to survive. In her heart, Kazumi hoped that Yukina would still be the same sweet girl she had met, maybe smarter, but no less innocent. It was no wonder Hiei wanted to keep her in the dark about his identity, but Kazumi thought that he was wrong on some points. Yukina would accept him for who he was, because that was the basis of her personality. She was the kindest person Kazumi had ever met.

Their eyes were the same, mirror images. The color shone true in both Yukina's and Hiei's eyes, though the personalities behind them were so different. Hiei had been through so much, compared to his sister, that his eyes were much colder. But Kazumi couldn't help but feel closer to him than the other three, if only for the way his eyes seemed to tell her that if he was the brother of Yukina, then he wasn't all bad too. It was almost . . . endearing.

Kazumi suppressed a slight laugh at that thought. She doubted he would be happy if he knew she'd applied that word to him. It would probably not be viewed as a compliment. She turned away, focusing on the forest once more, leaving her inner debates at a standstill for the time being. There would always be time for contemplation later.

"I think Yagami came here because of this presence." She announced, knowing that some of them would have already come to that conclusion.

"Why would he want to do that?" Yusuke sounded suspicious. Hmm, bonus points for his attentiveness.

Kazumi paused, wondering how much she should tell them. Finally, she turned. "Because, in a way, our realm is in a period of conflict. The Samyrans are . . . split down the middle, into two opposing sides. Yagami was one of us, a Kyoshiran, but recent events have found him to be a traitor. He betrayed us to our enemies, the Finuvians. I believe that he came here to enlist the aid of whatever inhabits this forest, and that is not good. We feared this might happen, but not even I suspected Spirit World harbored such a potent presence. It is not exactly formidable, but I fear Yagami has found a way to up the ante of the mission. He must have realized we were coming."

"Whoop dee doo. He found a friend." Yusuke replied, "We'll just take them both out."

"Nicely put." Kazumi smiled, no matter how easy it sounded, easier said than done.


	7. Authors Note

Ugh. I am so BUSY! Seriously, school is killing me . . . I have so many AP classes that give SO MUCH homework, and the worst of all are my AP Psychology and AP US History class . . . my psych teacher is psych-o (and pregnant - due in march), and my AP History teacher is just ridiculous. Because of this, I haven't been able to update my fanfics for over SIX MONTHS! And I haven't been able to do any art outside of school . . . it's depressing.

Anyway . . . just letting you know that my updates will be coming VERY slowly, if you haven't noticed . . .

bows and grovels I'm sorry!!!

Liandrin


End file.
